Selected from a pool of 5,351 applicants in 2009, David Saint-Jacques became one of fourteen members of the twentieth NASA astronaut class. This multidisciplinary professional transition marked the culmination of a career that began in biomedical engineering and advanced through intensive doctoral research in astrophysics and medical practice in remote northern regions.
Academic and Research Foundation
Saint-Jacques completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Physics at Polytechnique Montréal in 1993. He continued his academic path at the University of Cambridge, obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy in astrophysics in 1998 under the supervision of John E. Baldwin. His early career involved significant technical contributions, including the fabrication of instruments for the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope and the William Herschel Telescope. Between 1999 and 2001, he conducted postdoctoral research at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, focusing on infrared interferometer development and adaptive optics systems.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Medical Practice and Field Preparation
Before joining the Canadian Space Agency, Saint-Jacques earned a Doctor of Medicine from Université Laval in 2005 and finished a family medicine residency at McGill University in 2007. He applied his medical training as the co-chief of medicine at the Inuulitsivik Health Centre in Puvirnituq, Quebec, where he also served as a clinical faculty lecturer. His preparation for spaceflight included extreme environmental training, such as the NEEMO 15 undersea exploration mission in 2011 and the ESA CAVES program in 2013.
International Space Station Operations
Launched aboard Soyuz MS-11 on 3 December 2018, Saint-Jacques served as a flight engineer during Expeditions 57, 58, and 59. Throughout his mission, he performed essential station maintenance and research tasks. On 8 April 2019, he completed his first extravehicular activity, a seven-hour spacewalk that made him the fourth Canadian astronaut to execute such an operation. He returned to Earth on 24 June 2019, concluding a deployment that lasted over six months.
Fast facts
- Born: 1970, Quebec City, Canada
- Education: Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, University of Cambridge, Université Laval
- Selection: Canadian Space Agency astronaut class of 2009
- ISS Expeditions: 57, 58, and 59
- Spacewalk: 8 April 2019
- Officer of the National Order of Quebec: 2020
- Officer of the Order of Canada: 2022
Questions readers ask
What medical experience does David Saint-Jacques possess?
He holds a medical degree from Université Laval and completed a family medicine residency at McGill University, specializing in isolated, first-line medical care.
When did he first perform a spacewalk?
He conducted his first extravehicular activity on 8 April 2019, spending roughly seven hours outside the International Space Station.
Achievements
- Educated at Collège de Montréal, Laval University and University of Cambridge
